Ontario woman pleads guilty to fraud; has prior conviction

A 40-year-old Brantford woman, who falsified claims while working at dental offices in Brantford and Simcoe to defraud her employer and an insurance company of more than $35,000, will be sentenced on April 19.

Kelly J. Smith pleaded guilty in Ontario Court on Wednesday to three counts of fraud over $5,000. A pre-sentence report was ordered.

From April 2009 to March 2010, Smith worked as an office administrator at Greenfield Family Dentistry in Simcoe, where she opened and closed the business, billed insurance companies for services via electronic submissions, and processed payments.

In January 2012, the dental office received word that Manulife Financial was investigating some insurance claims that had originated from the office concerning services rendered for Smith and her family members. Funds to cover dental services had been deposited to Smith’s bank account, but investigation revealed that neither Smith or members of her family had received the treatments, court heard.

In all, 27 fraudulent insurance claims, totalling $10,125.64, had been made by Smith and the funds deposited to her bank account.

Smith’s employment was terminated and, several months later, she got a job as an office administrator at Life Time Dental in Brantford. She worked there from May 2010 to March 2011, during which time she removed $21,215 in cash receipts from the office, court heard.

Smith deleted patient treatments from the office computer to make it seem as though services had not been performed and then she pocketed cash payments.

She also overbilled Manulife Financial by $6,655.25 by submitting claims for dental work for herself and her family members that was never performed.

When arrested, Smith told officers that she had been desperate for money and had been abusing prescription drugs. She said her husband had no idea what she had been doing.

In a statement to police, Smith said she was sorry that she hurt so many people and she thinks she has no impulse control.

She told police that none of the money was left, having been used to purchase drugs, as well as for car repairs and to buy appliances and furniture for her new home. She told officers that she knew it was just a matter of time before she was charged.